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I’ll show you how to make a perfect oven roasted turkey for Thanksgiving! This easy recipe delivers the juiciest holiday turkey with tender meat and buttery, crispy skin. I’ve included my foolproof basting method and all of my best tips!
With a perfect roasted turkey in the oven, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare cranberry sauce, fluffy buttermilk mashed potatoes, and your favorite holiday sides.
I’m all about keeping things nice and easy when roasting a Thanksgiving turkey. As in, I like to let the oven do most of the work, which is exactly what we’re doing today. This is my foolproof method for a perfect oven roasted turkey that’s juicy and herby inside, with crispy, buttery skin. I’ll show you how to roast it, step by step, including cooking times and how to keep your turkey moist.
What Makes This the Best Oven Roasted Turkey Recipe
- Golden skin, juicy meat. Psst… the secret is a cheesecloth and lots of basting!
- Perfect for Thanksgiving and holiday dinners. You can use this juicy roasted turkey recipe for Christmas, too!
- No brining, no fussing. While you can absolutely brine your turkey for more flavor and juiciness, this beginner-friendly roasting recipe eliminates that extra step.
- Foolproof method. Whether you’re cooking your first turkey or looking for an easier way to roast this year’s bird, I share all of my best tips to avoid a dry turkey.
Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe
You don’t need any fancy ingredients to make a succulent, flavorful roast Thanksgiving turkey in the oven. I’ve covered the important ones below. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable ingredients list, amounts, and step-by-step recipe.
- Whole Turkey – For a typical Thanksgiving dinner, I plan for 1 to 1½ pounds of turkey per person (a 14-pound whole turkey will feed roughly 10-14 people). If your turkey is frozen, you’ll need to thaw it completely. This can take several days, so plan accordingly. See below for details.
- Yellow Onion – I love yellow onion for its sweetness, but feel free to use white onion or shallots as well.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic always yields the best flavor. However, you can swap it for ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Herbs – Fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley sprigs, for stuffing the cavity. I also add a few bay leaves.
- Unsalted Butter – If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the rest of the recipe.
- Dry White Wine – My favorite is Chardonnay, but Sauvignon Blanc works well in the butter sauce, too. If you’d prefer to cook without wine, substitute chicken stock instead.
When Should I Start Thawing a Turkey?
Thawing a frozen turkey can take longer than you think. A good rule of thumb is to budget 24 hours of thawing time in the fridge for every 4-5 pounds of turkey. So, a 14-pound turkey will need about 3 to 3½ days to thaw! Make sure to take your turkey out of the freezer in time.
Tips for the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey
- Chill the turkey before roasting. Before roasting, let the turkey rest overnight in the fridge while loosely covered with foil. This will help the skin dry out and become extra crispy once it’s in the oven.
- Keep an oven roasted turkey moist. Fill a baking dish with water and place it on the lowest rack in the oven. As the turkey cooks, the water will evaporate in the hot oven and create steam. This will help keep your turkey juicy.
- Turn it around. Most ovens have hot spots. To avoid one side of your turkey cooking properly and not the other, turn the roasting pan around (with the turkey) halfway through the cooking time.
- Don’t skip the crisping step. Remember to remove the cheesecloth and return the turkey to the oven uncovered for the final 30 minutes of roasting. It’s the secret to golden, crispy skin.
- Rest before carving. Once it’s out of the oven, allow the roasted turkey to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then carve it. This gives the juices a chance to redistribute throughout the meat.
- Add veggies. Chopping up baby potatoes, carrots, and other veggies will give you a 2-in-1 dinner of roasted veggies and turkey. Use them to make a bed for the turkey in the roasting pan.
- Use compound butter. Compound butter is a mixture of butter with herbs, spices, garlic, and other ingredients. It’s a great way to give the turkey extra flavor. You could also use my homemade garlic butter sauce in place of the melted butter and wine in this recipe.
What to Serve with Roasted Turkey
This oven roasted turkey pairs perfectly with classic Thanksgiving side dishes like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole. I love turning the leftover turkey pan drippings into gravy, and you can’t go wrong with fluffy dinner rolls to soak up the leftovers. This festive cherry pie is the best holiday dessert!
Frequently Asked Questions
Turkeys are roasted at both 450˚F and 350˚F. It should be roasted at 450˚F for the first 30 minutes and then at 350˚F for the remaining 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Both. The initial portion of roasting should happen with your turkey covered to keep the skin from browning too quickly and burning. Once the meat is almost fully cooked, it can be uncovered to crispen the skin and brown it.
Basting is the first secret to keeping an oven-roasted turkey moist. Baste every 30 minutes with the butter mixture and cooking juices to keep the turkey from drying out, and don’t overcook it. Turkey is done when its internal temperature registers 160ºF to 165ºF.
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Oven Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
- 14 pound whole turkey, completely thawed
- 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
- ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 large yellow onion, quartered
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6 rosemary sprigs, or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 6 thyme sprigs, or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 6 parsley sprigs, or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ cups unsalted butter
- 2 cups dry white wine, I use Chardonnay
Instructions
- Prepare for roasting. Preheat the oven to 450°F with an oven rack placed in the lower third. Place a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Set aside.
- Prep the turkey. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for later to make turkey broth, or discard them. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Loosen the skin. Starting at the neck end, loosen the skin from the breast by inserting your fingers or a long stick (I use my wooden spoon) and gently pushing between the skin and the meat. Do not detach the skin completely.
- Season the turkey. Season the turkey all over with salt and pepper; season the cavity, too. Place onions, garlic, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, parsley, and bay leaves inside the cavity.
- Truss the turkey. Tie the ends of the legs together with kitchen twine, and tuck the wing tips behind the back. Place the turkey on the rack in the roasting pan, breast side up, and set aside.
- Melt the butter. Add butter and white wine to a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the mixture is warm. Remove from heat.
- Soak the cheesecloth. Take the cheesecloth and fold it in half two times so you get 4 layers. Using a pair of tongs, lower the cheesecloth into the butter mixture to absorb it. Then, remove the cheesecloth and unfold it once, so you end up with two layers.
- Cover the turkey. Place the cheesecloth on top of the turkey to cover it; smooth out the cheesecloth onto the turkey’s skin. Cover the remaining butter mixture to keep it warm.
- Roast. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes at 450˚F. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, and roast for 2 hours, basting the cheesecloth and any exposed areas of the turkey every 30 minutes with the reserved butter mixture.
- Remove the cloth. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and peel away the cheesecloth, being careful not to tear the skin. Discard the cheesecloth.
- Crisp up the skin. Continue to roast the turkey (and baste it) for about 30 more minutes or until the skin is browned and a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the breast registers at 160˚F.
- Rest and carve. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
- Juicy Turkey: There are many ways to ensure your turkey does not dry out. One of them is to take the turkey out of the oven as soon as the internal temperature registers at 160˚F. Also, you can create steam by filling a baking dish with water and placing it on the lowest rack in the oven. Finally, turn the roasting pan around halfway through cooking to avoid one side of the turkey cooking properly but not the other.
- Basting the Turkey: Basting is an excellent way to moisten the turkey. Baste the turkey every 20 or 30 minutes of roasting time with the butter mixture plus the cooking juices to keep your turkey from drying out.
- Cover the Turkey: For other recipes that do not use cheesecloth, you should cover the turkey with foil to keep the skin from browning too quickly. Then, uncover it about 30 minutes before it is cooked so the skin can brown and crisp up.
- Cooking Time: This will depend on the size of the turkey, but the rule of thumb is to cook the turkey for 13 to 14 minutes per pound.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Prepare a Turkey for Roasting
The key to a perfect roast turkey is in doing the right prep, so that afterward it’s smooth sailing. Before you hand over your turkey to the oven, these are the quick steps to prepare it for roasting. You’ll loosen the skin, which helps it crisp, and fill the turkey cavity with herbs and aromatics to flavor the meat from the inside out.
- Prepare the turkey. First, remove the giblets and neck from the turkey (these will usually be inside the hole or “cavity”). If you’d like, you can save the giblets to flavor your turkey gravy later on. Then, use paper towels to pat the turkey dry.
- Loosen the skin. Now, carefully slide your fingers under the turkey skin to loosen it. Take care not to tear or detach the skin completely. You can also use the long end of a wooden spoon for this.
- Fill the cavity. Afterward, season the turkey with salt and pepper and place onions, garlic, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, parsley, and bay leaves inside the cavity.
- Truss the turkey. Place the turkey on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan, breast side up. Use kitchen twine to tie the ends of the legs together. Tuck the wing tips back.
Step-by-Step: How to Roast a Turkey in the Oven
Now that your turkey is stuffed, trussed, and ready, here’s a look at how to roast it using the cheesecloth method. This ensures that your Thanksgiving turkey comes out super juicy, flavorful, and fall-off-the-bone tender.
- Prep the oven. Preheat the oven to 450ºF, and position the rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Melt the butter. Meanwhile, heat the butter with wine in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s warm and melted.
- Prepare the cheesecloth. Fold the cheesecloth in half twice (it will have 4 layers). Using kitchen thongs, carefully lower the cloth into the melted butter. Once it has soaked up the butter mixture, remove the cloth and unfold it once.
- Cover the turkey. Now, place the cheesecloth on top of the turkey and smooth it out. Cover the leftover melted butter with a lid to keep it warm.
- Roast it. It’s time! Place your turkey in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes at 450ºF, then reduce the temperature to 350ºF. Continue to roast for 2 hours. Every 30 minutes, baste the cheesecloth and turkey with the remaining butter.
- Brown the skin. For this final step, you’ll remove the cheesecloth to crisp up the skin. Discard the cloth, and return the turkey to the oven, letting it roast for 30 minutes or until browned
How Long Do You Roast a Turkey per Pound?
On average, plan for 13 minutes of roasting time per pound of turkey. For example, I bought a 14-pound turkey for this recipe, and the total roasting time is 3 hours (the number of pounds x 13).
Roast the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the breast reads 160ºF. At this point, remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Turkey
- Refrigerate. Refrigerate any cooled and sliced leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also cover the roasting pan with foil and refrigerate the leftover turkey whole. I love using leftover turkey in turkey salad sandwiches and turkey chili.
- Reheat leftovers. To reheat it, sprinkle it with a few teaspoons of water and then microwave it for up to 2 minutes or until warm. You can also reheat it in a pan over medium heat until heated through.
- Freeze. Carve the turkey and wrap the pieces once in foil, then in plastic wrap twice. Transfer it to a freezer-friendly bag or container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Move the turkey to the fridge a day before serving it so it has enough time to thaw.
This looks absolutely amazing! I love the flavors. You can’t beat a perfectly cooked turkey.
Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! ๐